What is the comment_author_email_ cookie?
The comment_author_email_ cookie is generated automatically by WordPress core (no plugin required) when a user fills in and submits the standard comment form. The full cookie name includes, after the prefix, a unique identifier (hash) tied to that specific WordPress installation.
It only appears on WordPress-based sites with commenting enabled, and only after a visitor actually interacts with the comment form — it is not set on a simple page visit.
What data it stores
The cookie's value is the email address the visitor entered in the "Email" field of the comment form, stored as plain (possibly URL-encoded) text. It does not contain a session ID or a dedicated tracking token.
The cookie is stored locally in the visitor's browser and sent to the server with subsequent requests to the same domain, so the comment form can read and pre-fill it.
What it is used for
Its purpose is purely functional: on a later visit, WordPress automatically pre-fills the email field in the comment form with the saved value, so a visitor who comments repeatedly on the same site doesn't need to re-enter their address each time.
It has no analytics or advertising role — the site owner does not get aggregated data from this cookie; it exists solely for the commenter's convenience.
Does it require consent?
In CookieFix's classification, comment_author_email_ falls under the preferences (functional) category, since it stores user-entered data to improve the experience, with no statistical or marketing purpose.
- Because it is only set as a result of an explicit visitor action (filling in and submitting the form), it is sometimes treated similarly to strictly necessary cookies for that function, but a cautious approach under the ePrivacy Directive/national implementations is to include it under a category requiring prior consent if the consent platform classifies it that way.
- Regardless of the consent category chosen, the site owner must list it in the cookie policy.
How to block or delete comment_author_email_
Visitors can delete or block this cookie at any time from their browser settings (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari — per-site cookie management), with no negative effect beyond having to re-enter their email on the next comment.
For site owners, a consent management platform (CMP) like CookieFix can automatically block the script/form that sets this cookie until the visitor gives consent for the "preferences" category, helping meet the prior-consent requirement under the ePrivacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
No, it only stores the email address the visitor voluntarily entered in the comment form, with no other sensitive information.
WordPress appends a hash unique to that installation to avoid conflicts between cookies from multiple WordPress sites hosted on the same domain or server.
No, deleting the cookie only removes the automatic email pre-fill; comments already published remain unchanged on the site.
No, it only appears after a visitor fills in and submits the comment form, not from simply browsing the site.